Use of firearms by untrained or intentionally derelict individuals is inherently dangerous as it can induce serious injuries and/or fatalities. Such individuals can be characterized by individuals who are not properly trained in safe firearm use, children under the age of to have proper ability to operate a firearm, individuals not authorized to use firearms, criminals who have stolen firearms, those with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other mental conditions that make safe firearm usage less likely, or any other unauthorized access.
To prevent such occurrences, firearm manufacturers are required to provide a lock with every new firearm delivery. The locks provided are typically external cable locks that are locked through the action of the firearm. The cable locks are effective, but easily removed with cable cutters and can cause mechanical and aesthetic damage to the firearm. Other available locks include trigger locks that prevent firearm operation by covering the trigger but these locks do not completely immobilize the action of the firearm. A third type of firearm lock is wedged into the firing chamber of the firearm. This type of lock must maintain mechanical friction with the gun chamber and is easily defeated if there is a loss of this friction and can cause damage to the gun at the points of contact with the lock.
Gun owners do not use gun locks for various reasons. Some do not utilize a lock because the cable locks are so easy to defeat they consider them useless. Some owners are concerned about marring the internal surfaces or the exterior finishes especially when considering collectable or highly valuable guns.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, effective means of preventing unauthorized access to firearms. There is a further need for a simple but effective internal gun lock that does not mar surfaces with which it may come into contact. Additionally, there is a need for an inexpensive means of preventing unauthorized access to firearms that is not easily defeated by unauthorized individuals.